What makes a genius recipe? One key ingredient is input from a global community of home bakers and cooks. That’s the approach Kristen, executive editor at Food52, took to writing her Genius Recipes column. In her regular column, Kristen explores both time-tested recipes and unearths hidden gems. It has since morphed into two books: Genius Recipes and now her newest, Genius Desserts.

Cookbooks are definitely one of the biggest sources for Genius Recipes, just in that they’re this somewhat timeless thing that generations of people have have cooked from and there’s just an attachment to them.

— Kristen Miglore

On this episode of Salt + Spine’s Baking Week, we sat down with Kristen at the San Francisco’s The Civic Kitchen to talk about what defines a genius recipe (and a genius dessert), the cookbooks, authors and community that influenced this latest book, and what pastry she’s got in her purse.

Plus, we stop by Omnivore Booksin San Francisco to chat with Celia Sack in our “From the Vault” segment.